Youth Concerts

Youth Concerts

Youth Concerts

Youth Concerts

"Music is the best thing yet found to encourage everyone in work and play. An orchestra that is promoted by unselfish motives to promote music of finest educational value is an asset to the community, and the Erie Philharmonic orchestra, organized for the purpose, will have the endorsement of all."

Dr. Otto Behrend - May 3, 1921; Erie Dispatch

2017-18 Youth Concerts

What Makes our Music Sound American?

Over the course of 2 days, the Philharmonic performed for almost 6,000 students from across the region! Composers featured on the concert included John Williams, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, Charles Ives and Meredith Willson along with a world-premiere written by students from the Downtown YMCA Teen Center and Erie Philharmonic violinist Christina Dolanc. A 51-page curriculum was distributed to all teachers ahead of time as well.

Pianist Inna Faliks presented a master class for local college and high school students at Mercyhurst University on Friday, February 5th, 2016.

Bella Hristova, violinist, presented a master class for four local violinists at Mercyhurst University on Thursday, January 21st, 2016.

School Visits

School Visits

School Visits

School Visits

Throughout each season, Maestro Daniel Meyer and special guests will visit music classrooms, orchestras, concert bands and wind ensembles from around the region. Contact Executive Director Steve Weiser at 814/455-1375 or SWeiser@EriePhil.org to schedule an event at your school today!

2017-18

Grammy winning guitarist Sharon Isbin spent the morning playing for students in 4th grade at Fairview Elementary School.

Principal players from the Erie Philharmonic embarked on a 3-day, 6 concert tour of the region earlier this week performing new versions of classical favorites arranged by Rick Robinson and Cuttime Productions.

Performances included stops at Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, Fort LeBoeuf High School, Early Connections, the Cathedral of St. Paul and Harbor Creek High School.

Renowned cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan performed at McKinley Elementary School for students from both Lincoln and McKinley schools

The amazing trio of Elena Urioste, Michael Brown and Nicholas Canellakis visits with students from the Benjamin Wiley Charter School

Broadway superstar Lisa Vroman visits with students from General McLane High School.

2016-17

Music Director Daniel Meyer presents a class on music careers to students at McDowell Intermediate High School.

GUEST violin SOLOIST Jenny Oaks Baker PERFORMED FOR STUDENTS AT Leadership Christian Academy BEFORE HER PERFORMANCE WITH THE PHILHARMONIC IN April 2017.

Emanuel Ax's residency continued with a visit to Walnut Creek Middle School in March 2017.

World-renowned Pianist performed for 2nd and 3rd grade students at Emerson Gridley Elementary during his Residency IN March 2017.

Music Director Daniel meyer worked with 2nd grade students at Edinboro Elementary during our Emanuel Ax Residency week IN March 2017.

Guest piano soloist Soyeon Kate Lee PERFORMED FOR STUDENTS AT General McLane High SCHOOL BEFORE her PERFORMANCE WITH THE PHILHARMONIC IN January 2017.

Principal Flute of the Met Opera Demarre McGill performed for elementary students at Wayne Middle School before his performance with the Philharmonic in November 2016.

Concertmaster Ken Johnston performed for elementary students at Belle Valley Elementary before his performance with the Philharmonic in October 2016.

2015-16

Cathie Ryan, international Celtic singing sensation, performed for students at the Leadership Christian Academy.

Tanya Bannister, Pianist, performed for over 750 students from Collegiate Academy.

Music Director Daniel Meyer and Erie Phil bassoonist Sarah Lee spent the morning with students from the Benjamin Wiley Charter School.

Andrew von Oeyen, Pianist, at Asbury Elementary School.

Zuill Bailey, cellist, performing for students at Harding Elementary.

PNC Grow Up Great

PNC Grow Up Great

PNC Grow Up Great

PNC Grow Up Great

Led by Sarah Lee (second bassoon with the Phil), the PNC Grow Up Great program features musicians from the Erie Philharmonic presenting weekly classes to preschool students from across the region. Our 2016-17 program will be offered to students at Early Connections.

2015-16 Archive Pictures

Woodwind Day

Brass Day

String Day

Percussion Day

Music Director Day

Long Term Residency

Long Term Residency

Beginning in Fall 2017, the Erie Philharmonic will visit classrooms at Early Connections West as a continuation of nationally-recognized Long Term Residency program. Instead of reaching students just a few times a year as done in the past, teaching artist Melany Myers will visit the center 60 times between August and February.

This long-term residency has many goals, but the main mission is to create positive musical experiences that promote early music appreciation and early literacy skills in young students, preparing them for success in school and beyond. Strengthening this emphasis on continued arts infusion, the Philharmonic aims to bring music into pre-kindergarten classes in order to aid language and literacy development as well as organizing and applying knowledge through creative thinking.

The project is funded through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. “The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is pleased to again approve Erie Philharmonic’s long term residency grant,” said Philip Horn, PCA executive director. “This collaboration will bring teaching artists and the creative process into unique partnerships with educators, schools and non-profit community organizations benefiting our schools and student learning.”

Teaching Artist Melany Myers has over 30 years teaching and music education experience, so this is a natural step forward to reach even more students with an expansive curriculum. Building upon the groundwork laid by Erie Phil musician Sarah Lee, this 20-week, 60-day residency will reach over 60 students, again including visiting guest artists from the Philharmonic as well as a trip to see the orchestra perform live in the historic Warner Theatre. The program also includes professional development on arts infusion for all teachers at the center.

Executive Director Steve Weiser is excited to look to the future and ensure the Philharmonic is truly living their mission. “I’m honored that the PA Council on the Arts has again chosen to support our residency, this year at Early Connections. Given the enormous success of last year's residency at the St. Benedict Center, we are anxious to see how large of an impact we can have on the lives of even more children this year,” Weiser said. “I take this program as a vote of confidence from the state – we know we are doing great things, but we are also one of the first orchestras to receive this type of funding directly from the state.”

2017-18

Final Day

Music Director Day

Return from the holidays!

Percussion Day

Music Takes Action Fundraiser

Bassoon Day

Flute/Bird Day

String Bass Day

Brass Day

First Day

Sponsors

The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) is a state agency in the Office of the Governor. Created in 1966, the PCA is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Council’s mission is to foster the excellence, diversity, and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania, and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the commonwealth. Support for education is a PCA priority. The PCA’s Arts in Education Division assists hundreds of Pennsylvania schools to support curriculum, enrich the important work of arts educators, and provide opportunities for students to discover and develop their creative skills and abilities through teaching artist residencies. The Division and its partners also place artists in residencies in community-based settings. Learn more at www.arts.pa.gov and www.facebook.com/Pennsylvaniacouncilonthearts.

The Junior League of Erie, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

Many of Erie’s most active leaders in business and philanthropy have one thing in common, membership in the Junior League of Erie. Formed in 1925 and incorporated in 1933, the JLE has trained generations of women as volunteers and leaders in the community. The JLE chooses projects focusing on unmet community needs of women and children. This flexibility has enabled the JLE to meet a wide variety of needs in the community throughout the years and adapt to the changing lifestyles and interests of the community’s women volunteers.

YMCA Composition & Film School

YMCA Composition & Film School

YMCA Composition & Film School

YMCA Composition & Film School

Launching in October 2016, this initiative works with students from the YMCA Teen Center two times a month, showing them how a piece of music goes from paper to the stage.

Music students will work with teaching musical artists and special guests from the Erie Philharmonic to learn how to read and write music, structure a song, and arrange for different instruments. Student’s final work will be performed LIVE by the Erie Philharmonic in November 2017. Additionally, film students will work with teaching film artists to learn how to script, shoot and produce for film. Student’s final work will be shown LIVE at an Erie Philharmonic concert in November 2017.

The Composition & Film School is made possible by gifts given to the David Matthews Memorial Fund at the YMCA of Greater Erie. Special thanks to the Erie Philharmonic, Life Thru Music, Erie Arts & Culture and Unearth Film, LLC.

Instrumental Petting Zoos

Instrumental Petting Zoos

Instrumental Petting Zoos

Instrumental Petting Zoos

Each season, musicians from the Erie Philharmonic visit local schools, learning centers and community events presenting hands-on, Instrumental Petting Zoos. These interactive sessions will give all participating students the opportunity to physically touch, feel and play a variety of orchestral instruments.

Community Performances

Community Performances

Throughout the year, the Erie Philharmonic presents concerts, recitals, and outreach activities of all sizes across the community.

2017-18

Live from Studio Q performances

Wednesday, August 16, 2017 - Erie Art Museum - Woodwind Quintet

Sunday, August 13, 2017 - LEAF - Woodwind Quintet

Wednesday, July 19, 2017 - Erie Art Museum - Brass Quintet

Sunday, July 16, 2017 - LEAF - Brass Quintet

Monday, July 3, 2017 - Fireworks night at the Erie Seawolves

2016-17

Wednesday, June 14, 2017 - Erie Art Museum - String Quartet

Live from Studio Q with the legendary Emanuel Ax, hosted at Mercyhurst University

2016-17 WQLN Live from Studio Q Performances

Wednesday, August 24, 2016 - Erie Art Museum - wind Quintet

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 - Erie Art Museum - Brass Quintet

Sunday, July 3, 2016 - Fireworks night at the Erie Seawolves

Friday, June 24, 2016 - Crime Victim Center of Erie

Thursday, June 23, 2016 - St. Mary's East

Wednesday, June 22, 2016 - LECOM Senior Living Center

Wednesday, June 22, 2016 - Erie Art Museum - String Quartet

Tuesday, June 21, 2016 - LifeWorks Erie

Monday, June 20, 2016 - Regional Cancer Center

Piano Donations

Piano Donations

Piano Donations

Piano Donations

Throughout the season, the Philharmonic will look to donate pianos of all shapes and sizes to various schools and organizations across the city.

Monday, October 6, 2017 - Taylor Balogh

The second donation as part of our individual piano donation program. Congrats Taylor - enjoy the piano!

Tuesday, October 10, 2017 - Rachel Karr

The first piano donation as part of our new program in which we donate a piano directly to a young aspiring musician. Congrats Rachel!

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 - Mercyhurst Prep

Delighted to donate a piano to Art Martone and the Music Department at Mercyhurst Prep.

Friday, August 4, 2017 - Erie High School

Returning music to our one-time home, the orchestra donated an historic upright piano to the newly named Erie High.

Friday, August 4, 2017 - Harding elementary School

Helping to round out the instrument selection at Harding Elementary, this eclectic piano will be a perfect addition to the music classroom!

Wednesday, March 8, 2017 - Emerson Gridley Elementary School

As the first event in our Emanuel Ax Residency, the orchestra donated an upright piano to the school as part of Mr. Ax's outreach visit.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016 - J.F.K. Senior Center, Early Connections and the Boys and Girls Club of Erie

As part of our second educational outreach week this past June, we donated three pianos across the city to various locations.

Saturday, April 2, 2016 - Cathedral of St. Paul

Another piano donation to a local downtown neighbor - so glad to be help out Sharon Downey and our friends at the Cathedral of St. Paul!

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 - Crime Victim Center of Erie

Chuck Haynes from Weber Murphy Fox helped to donate this piano to the Crime Victim Center of Erie. So happy to launch a new relationship with this fabulous facility.

Monday, November 2, 2016 - Downtown YMCA

We were delighted to donate this beautiful baby grand piano to the Downtown YMCA on 10th Street. Gifted to the Erie Phil by Stephen Huckaby, this piano will be used in the new music studio inside the Y, and will be played on by hundreds of children each week!

Thursday, November 5, 2016 - Benjamin Wiley Charter School

Continuing our busy education week, we were able to donate a second piano to the Benjamin Wiley Charter School. This piano was graciously gifted to the Erie Phil from Bill Beisel.

Instrument Donation

Instrument Donation

Instrument Donation

Instrument Donation

Have an unused instrument that you would like to donate? Contact us and let the Erie Philharmonic help put your instrument directly into the hands of a child from across the city!

Name *

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email Address *

Instrument to Donate *

Location *

Message *

Thank you - someone from the Erie Phil will be in touch with you shortly regarding this generous donation!